Free
by the Prince's Jewel
Summary: He gets rid of the beads. (complete)
1. Free

Disclaimer (as if I need one!) I don't own it, and no, I've neither seen nor read the entire thing. Still working on that.  
  
Free  
  
He'd thought she was Kikyo, the first time he'd ever seen her. And then he'd gotten a good whiff, and realized the scent was wrong. Inu-Yasha plucked at the beads around his neck. Again, they didn't come off.  
  
She'd been so insulted when he had said Kikyo was much cuter. Then the demon had crushed her against him, and for the first time in fifty years, he'd felt a woman's body against his own. Her hips, drug along his own, her breasts, as the centipede pulled her down until her face had rested intimately against him, her hand fisted next to him. And he'd asked her to free him, too confused at the rush of sensation, and too angry with the centipede, to think she wouldn't be able to release him.  
  
And then the throbbing ecstasy of release, as the geas was broken, and his power and strength returned to him, with his freedom.  
  
A freedom he had lost only minutes later.  
  
For all his strength and power, his speed and ability to fight, he'd been transformed into little more than a slave. He'd fought it bitterly, trying everything he could think of to break this new spell that bound him, to no avail. To be so close to the jewel, to achieving his life's dream, and never be able to realize it. And then it had been shattered.  
  
She was eighteen now, and the jewel had only a few shards missing. They had recovered most of them. The beads rustled against his kimono when he shifted to look down where she slept. Three years now. Three years of traveling together. Three years in which he'd learned what it meant to have friends, to have someone care about him. Three years in which he'd protected her and the others. Three years of carrying her, her long legs locked around his waist, her breath warm against his neck. In those three years, he'd grown to love her.  
  
She never once offered to release him.  
  
She'd cried for him. Wrapped her arms around him, been worried about him, cared about him.  
  
But she wouldn't release him.  
  
He was a half-demon, and she was the keeper of the Shikon Jewel, the only thing that could make him a full demon.  
  
The beads still bound him.  
  
Inu-Yasha sat up with a strangled cry, and raced through the trees.  
  
He huddled against the tree, knees pulled to his chest, dark head buried in his arms. Tonight was his last chance. He had to do it, and he had to do it right. If not, he would never make her believe. Not that it mattered.  
  
His head came up slowly, looking for the sword he'd brought. An old sword, not very sharp, but all he had. Trembling hands pulled it from the sheath. He wasn't a coward! He wasn't! This was the only thing he could think of to prove.  
  
To prove he could be trusted.  
  
He laughed as he braced the sword, wrapping his hands around the blade. It wasn't sharp, but it cut him. Slowly, he adjusted it. He could do this. He had to. The point was just under his chin now. The point, scratching a thin line of blood as he moved it back, until it pressed just above his throat.  
  
She would know that she could trust him.  
  
He swallowed, clenched the blade tighter, thrust as hard as he could.  
  
"Ka...go...me." Violet eyes widened in agony as he forced the blade to twist as he pulled it free. He slumped, blood pouring from the wound.  
  
Silver hair waved in the gentle breeze, a red sleeve fluttering. Golden eyes opened slowly, clawed hands feeling for a wound that wasn't there. The sword lay next to him, bloodied. The white shirt he wore was red with blood. He'd done it, and he'd failed. The silver head drooped. He'd failed. The tears he'd refused to release forced their way past tightly closed lids. He bit his lip to keep the sobs muffled, since he couldn't stop them.  
  
He'd failed.  
  
They were calling him. She was calling him. He was a good dog. He went back to his mistress.  
  
The throbbing exhilaration when he'd been freed, the rush of power and strength. He remembered it, felt it.  
  
The beads fell to the ground.  
  
He was free.  
  
Violet eyes met gold ones. He tried to speak, couldn't.  
  
"You're welcome," his brother told him. 


	2. Why

Again, I don't own. Sue at your leisure, I'm flat broke and likely to stay that way.  
  
Again, I haven't read the whole thing, or seen the whole series. See above as to why.  
  
And also, sorry the first part was so confusing. This should clear things up. If no, hollar more and I will try again... but with whose pov I haven't a clue...  
  
Why?  
  
She loved him. She knew she loved him. But, she feared him, too. Kagome looked to where Inuyasha sat, legs crossed and shoulders hunched. He plucked absently at the beads around his neck, for the who knows how many-th time that day. The expression on his face when he did hurt her, but she didn't dare free him. She feared what would happen if he were to transform to a full demon, without the beads to control him.  
  
Tonight was the new moon. They'd set up camp a little early, changed the way they set up. Inuyasha wouldn't be able to smell them coming, and Shippo always slept like the dead. So tonight, they would take turns trying to keep an eye out for danger. Usually they stayed inside on the new moon, but they'd been chasing a jewel shard. The demon had lost to Inuyasha's claws, but they were too far from any towns or villages now to beat sundown, and Inuyasha's transformation.  
  
Kagome sighed, and settled herself down to sleep. She didn't need to be awake yet. Sango would wake her when her watch was over.  
  
Nothing. No funny noises, no worries of any kind. She'd even been able to study! Kagome checked her watch, and sighed with relief. Time for Inuyasha to take over. She walked over to him. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"I'm awake. Go to bed."  
  
She stepped back hesitantly. "You don't want some company?"  
  
"Why would I want company? Go to bed, Kagome. I can keep a watch just as well now as if I was still a demon."  
  
"I... Oh, never mind!" Kagome stuffed herself angrily into her sleeping bag, fuming over Inuyasha's temper. It wasn't like she was trying to say he couldn't keep a watch by himself! She'd just thought... oh, never mind what she'd thought! Inuyasha could just keep his temper!  
  
And what was worse, he was watching her! She could tell. But somehow, it was nice. He did care. She reminded herself that he was always cranky, and this night was always worse than usual. She sighed, her mind busy with so many things that she couldn't sleep. There was a math test coming up in two more days, and she just had to learn the equations. "Let's see, the hypotonuse of a..."  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome sat up slightly, looking around. Had he called her name? No, he wasn't even nearby. "Hmm? Oh..." She drifted back into sleep, not waking again until Miroku shook her. "Hmm? Is it morning?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Where's Inuyasha?"  
  
"It figures that would be the first thing you ask!" Sango laughed. "It was either that or what's for breakfast!"  
  
"Speaking of which?" Kagome asked hopefully.  
  
"Eggs. You want yours scrambled?"  
  
"Sure. But, where is Inuyasha? He never misses meals."  
  
"I smell blood!" Shippo popped out of Kagome's sleeping bag. A moment later, the four were hunting for Inuyasha.  
  
"Inuyasha!"  
  
"I'm here, Kagome."  
  
She whirled to face him. "Inuyasha! You're hurt!"  
  
"No, I'm fine." He caught her when she ran to him, held her off. "I'm fine, Kagome. Just fine. Let's go."  
  
"But your shirt!"  
  
He yanked it open. "See? I'm fine. Not a scratch. Can we go, already?"  
  
Another month, another new moon. And Inuyasha missing again this morning. Kagome sighed, and went in search of him. She saw the red kimono, an outflung hand. She caught her breath, hurrying to his side. "NOOOOO! INUYASHA!!!!" Violet eyes stared blankly up at her. Blood again covered the white shirt, spilled to darken the kimono. "Inuyasha?"  
  
She couldn't believe it. Wouldn't.  
  
"He's dead."  
  
She whirled. "Sesshomaru!"  
  
"I killed him. He thanked me."  
  
"Th... thanked you?"  
  
"He's free." 


	3. Sesshy Says

Grrr. Sigh. Okay, I'll try again. Oh, I'm trying html this time, too, so maybe that will help with the spacing difficulties I've been having. Alrighty then… um… on to Sesshy's POV.

_There is something wrong with Inu-Yasha. I haven't yet figured out what, but he has not seemed up to the challenge these last few times we've fought. Last time, perhaps, he had reason to be, he was covered in blood, after all._ Sesshomaru stared into the flickering flames, trying to determine what could possibly keep his half-brother from fighting at his peak.

_Kagome, perhaps? He's forever smelling like her, and frustration._ Sesshomaru shook his head. No, it couldn't be that. Inu-Yasha wasn't so weak that he couldn't have the girl if he truly wanted her. And he'd watched the two enough to know that the girl would be more than willing to take him. A faintly contemptuous smile curved his lips. His brother was a fool. _And I am more of a fool for wondering what could be wrong. I should simply take advantage of it, and rid myself of him once and for all._

He continued on as usual, occasionally getting a report of his brother from other demons. Most he found routine, another fight, another demon slain, another jewel shard found. Another fight with the woman. He finally decided it was time for him to go see his brother.

Sesshomaru settled himself comfortably upwind of the encampment he'd already overflown. He knew Inu-Yasha wouldn't be able to resist the bait. And he was right. His half-brother appeared within a half-hour of sunset. They exchanged their usual insults, then got down to business.

Shesshomaru fended off his brother's attack easily. "You're losing your touch, Inu-Yasha."

"I'll show you!" Inu-Yasha snarled, attacking again, swinging wildly.

"I thought you knew how to fight?" Sesshomaru frowned, his brother had never fought so badly.

"I'll take care of you. You'll see." But Inu-Yasha panted, seeming more worried about the sun than his brother.

"What is it, Inu-Yasha? Don't you care to fight after dark?"

"Not tonight." Another wild attack followed. Sesshomaru beat him back easily, quickly growing bored. He moved, a blur of white, and Inu-Yasha dropped to the ground, clutching at the viscious wound across his stomach. "You bastard!"

Sesshomaru rested against his sword. "You fight like a child, Inu-Yasha. I had hoped for more sport."

"You'll get..." Inu-Yasha brought his sword up to defend against another attack.

Sesshomaru blinked. His sword pierced Inu-Yasha's heart. The Tetseiga, which had inexplicably shrunk, (I can't spell it, okay!) lay at their feet, shattered. Inu-Yasha's hands crept up to grip the blade. "What is this?"

"Thank you."

"Thank you?" Sesshomaru pulled the sword loose, pressed it to his brother's neck. "What do you mean by that? I've killed you!" The blade flickered through the air, slashing across Inu-Yasha's throat just as the sun set. He stepped back.

Inu-Yasha's hair darkened, his eyes. Violet eyes caught and held gold. Inu-Yasha tried to speak, couldn't. As the beads fell from his neck, Sesshomaru knew what he tried to say. "You're welcome," he replied.

He waited, not sure why. But Kagome came. He stepped out as she cried. "He's dead."

"Sesshomaru!"

"I killed him. He thanked me."

"Th... thanked you?"

"He's free." He watched as she picked up one of the beads that had constrained his brother, watched her bury her face against his bloodied shirt. Then he walked away, uncertain whether to feel cheated - his brother had wanted to die- or victorious.

Okay. Now, if that didn't at least explain the end, here is a synopsis.

Inu-Yasha loves Kagome, who loves him, but is afraid to take the beads off because of Inu-Yasha's tendency to transform into a full-demon at times. Inu-Yasha doesn't know that, and thinks it's just cause of the jewel and lack of trust, so he tries to kill himself. However, since he had the last watch, and had to wait until Kagome went to sleep to off himself, it was too close to sunrise for his attempt to be successful. Instead, he heals. (Yeah, he went all demon, but he was passed out, so it didn't matter. He undemoned before he woke up.) A month later, Sesshy shows up and fights him. As you can see above, the Tetseiga (which I can't spell) goes from great big fang to little rusty sword, resulting in a stabbed through the heart owie. To top it off, his throat gets sliced just as the sun sets. End result, he dies.


End file.
